Circle of Tears
by lostaria
Summary: There is a strange girl in Sohma house and no one besides Tohru knows who she is or why she is there. No one seems thrilled to meet this new girl but she is ready for the challenge of claiming her rightful place in the household.
1. Chapter 1

Fruits Basket Fan Fiction

Circle of Tears

Chapter 1

The Very Strange Girl in Sohma House

Something was in the air that spring. Something was going to happen. The Sohma house was too quiet lately. Even the usual fist fights between Yuki and Kyo seemed... different. A dark cloud was circling in quiet house in the woods and it was bringing more with it than a little bit of spring rain.

The world of the Sohma's turned up side down that morning. Kyo had only wanted to brush his teeth that strange March day, but fate had other plans for him. Everyone else was down stairs having breakfast, but Kyo was running late.

He had had a strange dream about a black cat following him- a very special black cat that had died long ago. He still missed her and the hope that she gave to everyone cursed in the Sohma household. The effects of the dream wore off but he was still lost in the dream that never could be.

Kyo went into the bathroom and began to brush his teeth. He was so out of it that he did not notice the set of clean cloths by the sink or the steam coming from the shower. He had just placed the toothbrush in his mouth when he finally heard something behind him. At first he thought that it was Yuki but when he turned around all he saw was dark blue eyes and long blonde hair.

His mouth dropped open and the brush clattered on to the bathroom floor. A slight foam from the mint toothpaste made him the look like he had rabies. His eyes were round and he was paralyzed in place. She was beautiful, for a girl it was.

Poor Kyo. He was so taken with this golden creature with he forgot to be embarrassed and look away. The strange girl was startled at first but when the funny looking boy with red hair continued staring at her, the startled blush in her face turned to anger.

With the blink of an eye, Kyo was sent flying out of the bath room and into the stair well. Down he tumbled, head over heels crashing all of the way. Three pairs of eyes glanced up at the foaming crumpled form of Kyo Sohma unconscious at the foot of the stairs.

"What is that Stupid CAT up to now?" Asked the sleepy eyed prince as he glared at his unconscious cousin.

"Kyo, if you have started loosing fist fights to ghosts then maybe you should give up altogether." Shigure laughing at his own whit, nearly choked on his jelly doughnut.

Tohru just swallowed and went into the kitchen to hide. She could guess what had happened up stairs and she was dreading the scene that would follow once Kyo woke up. She tried to take her time making some more tea but Shigure called her back in to wake up Kyo.

At other times she would have been worried about Kyo and his injuries but today, Tohru was not feeling herself... Her world just wasn't simple anymore nor would it ever be so again. Since the night that she was shown Kyo's true self, Tohru had seemed depressed. Never before did she feel such pressure to keep a secret, until today.

When Kyo regained consciousness he looked around very anxiously for his would be assassin but the golden haired creature was no where to be seen. Had he dreamed it all up?

No. The pounding in his skull was too real for any hallucination. It hurt even worse then when Yuki kicked him through a wall.

"Damn it! What hit me in the head?" when he uttered these words, Kyo blushed and clamped his mouth shut. A naked girl beating the stuffing out of him was not something he cared to advertise to anyone in that house.

But why was there a naked girl in the bathroom? And who the hell was she?

When Kyo could not stand the fact that Yuki and Shigure kept chiding him about falling down the stairs, he slammed his fist down on the table and their breakfast jumped about.

"Well why didn't someone tell me there was a naked girl up there in the first place?"

The words 'naked' and 'girl' together in the same sentence got Shigure's attention almost instantly. He began to act scandalized at the thought of a naked young girl up stairs in his house that he knew nothing about.

So one of these sly young men has gone and found himself a girlfriend. All of his worries about his young cousins were for nothing. They had an even healthier love life than he did.

"Oh, how soon you young ones grow up. It is the beginning of spring, after all, and love is bound to be in the air. But to bring a girl here... Awww...Well I never had the nerve to... But young people are not the same now. Things are soo much more..."

"What are you babbling about now? And what are you talking about a girl. There aren't any girls in this house?" Yuki was about to smack Shigure for carrying this on and Kyo for starting him up.

"No girl!? How can you be so cruel. What do you mean there is no girl in the house? What would you call dear sweet Tohru? A fish?" He said gently patting her on the head with his fan.

"Ummm... Shigure?" Tohru tried to say something before this got too far but she really had not the courage to admit the truth. How could she tell them even a part of the truth- she had not absorbed it entirely her self yet. So she decided to let things play out. Maybe if she ignored it the entire thing would just go away.

Kyo was screaming that he had not made up any story about a girl- that it was true and she was right up stairs in the bathroom taking a shower. Neither of his cousins believed him but then a creature with long blonde hair walked passed the living room and down the hallway calling out for Tohru.

When they saw the strange girl, no one could believe their eyes. So there WAS a strange girl but she wasn't naked anymore. Shigure felt suddenly depressed but stood up to confront this girl who was dripping wet all over Tohru's nice clean floor.

The girl seemed embarrassed to be suddenly confronted by Yuki and Shigure. She blushed when she saw them but when she saw Kyo, fire entered into her eyes and she stuck her tongue out at him.

The Sohma's had never in their entire lives seen such a strange thing before. Here was a girl that walked about like she owned the house, half naked and dripping wet completely ignoring them and all sense of decorum.

"Tohru? There you are. Tohru why didn't you wake me up? I asked you to get me up before the sun rose." Asked the girl with the dripping golden hair. She looked so odd in her white tank top and shorts that even Shigure began to blush.

"You looked so exhausted I wanted you to sleep a little while longer... I... I'm sorry." Said Tohru refusing to look the blond girl in the eyes, choosing instead to stare at her clinched fists in her lap.

"No your not, Tohru, but the damage is done and I have to hurry. I should have been there ten minutes ago. " The strange girl was about run back upstairs when she turned back and kissed Tohru on the cheek and looking at the three blinking Sohma's. "We still have a lot to talk about tonight. A whole lot."

The Sohma's were even more wide eyed than ever. This girl was staying with Tohru!? Tohru was not the sort of person to let someone into the house without informing them and she did not seem to happy to have her there either.

Tohru did not look up until the girl was out of sight. She gave the Sohma's a sad look and then stood up and ran to the paper door. "Wait! You have to have breakfast. Mom always said that you can't start the day with an empty stomach."

"Yes. But she also said that putting off the inevitable will only cause more trouble. I have to go... But we can have something to eat later. I promise."

And with that the strange girl ran back up stairs leaving every one in completely stunned silence. Life at Sohma house has just gotten that much more weird.

Who in the hell is she?

The End of Chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

Fruits Basket Fan Fiction

Circle of Tears

Chapter 2

Unexpected Surprise

As the door closed behind the creature with gold hair, silence filled her place. The Sohma's were too amazed to say anything and Tohru was too embarrassed. So much for nobody noticing her.

Tohru knew that it would be up to her to break the silence but she couldn't. She knew that she had taken liberties that she should not have and that she should have asked Shigure but considering the situation, how could she? They would never allow her here and Tohru could not tell her not to come. Fate was just against her and there was only one thing she could do...

"Shigure, I am so sorry but a friend of mine is going to stay in my room for a few days. She is only in town for about three days so...and she will hardly be here so..."

"So you thought that she could just hide in your room and hoped that no one would notice." Shigure was only trying to lighten the very tense mood but this little statement was enough to bring Tohru to tears.

In her sniffles they could hear Tohru sobbing, " I am so sorrrrry" over and over again. Tohru could not get a hold of herself... Maybe Shigure had gone a little too far this time. Or, maybe she was in some sort of trouble.

No one had anything to say except smacking Shigure up the side of the head. Kyo could not stand that sound coming from his friend any longer and his anger got the better of him.

"Stop crying, dammit."

But it was some minutes before Tohru could stop the water works. The tears that she had locked within her heart for the last few weeks came rushing out. She was finally comfortable here in Shigure's house. Kyo and Yuki seemed to be getting along (at least a little better). It felt like they were a family here and Tohru did not want that to change. She did not want to have to leave this house- and now it seemed that no matter what choice she made- she would be forced to leave the people she cared most about.

Her heart was broken- it was like she had lost her mother all over again. When her tears did stop Tohru looked very tired and care worn. Tohru was not acting like her self. She was gloomy and crying all of the time... even her sunny smiles had a shadow cast over them. Was this girl to blame? Why was she making Tohru so uncomfortable?

This had to be gotten to the bottom of. If this girl was hurting their princess than something had to be done to stop it. As her family it was their duty and they were willing to do almost anything to protect their friend.

Sadly though, things were not as they appeared and the puzzle that is Tohru Honda became even more strange to the Sohma's.

The girl came back down the stairs and saw Tohru still sobbing. With out a word, the girl wrapped Tohru into her arms and began to sooth her hair. Tohru responded to her caresses immediately and calmed back down into her "almost" cheerful self. Tohru hugged the girl tight and slowly began calm down.

Once Tohru's sobs had stopped, the girl whispered... "Are you OK, little rice ball? Something didn't happen, did it?" Her eyes narrowed in suspicion as she gazed at the three boys but Tohru just shook her head.

"I just thought of something very sad, that's all. Oh, Alley! You will be really really late if you don't leave now. I have caused so much trouble this morning that I will never forgive myself."

"Tohru stop being silly. Now are you sure that everything is OK? No one has a right to mess with my rice ball. No one!" A slight threat was put into this endearment for the benefit of the three very strange boy who were glaring at her. She was ready to protect Tohru from the Sohma's just as much as they wanted to protect Tohru from her.

Tohru remained in her arms until she saw the confused look in the Sohma's eyes and with what the on lookers thought was embarrassment, pushed her friend away.

The girl that Tohru had named Alley looked a little hurt but released her with out a word. They still were not comfortable around each other yet. They had both changed over the last five years and Alley could not reasonably expect Tohru to let things go back to the way they once were... It would take time to close the gap... but would three days be enough?

Tohru could not look at anyone and was happy to be reminded of the tea kettle in the kitchen. But as Tohru left the room, she could see that the girl and the boys were having a very tense staring contest... Something had to be done to break the ice, but she feared that it was going to be some kind of explosion.

Alley was determined to like these boys that had been so nice to Tohru. If they were special to Tohru then they would be just as special to her. The girl with the dark blue eyes and golden hair decided that she should be the first to extend the olive branch of friendship and as Tohru was getting the tea, Alley began to braid her long blonde hair and break the chilly silence.

"You know, when Tohru had told me that she was living with three guys in the woods my imagination began to spill out horrible 'what ifs'. Things have changes and somehow it doesn't seem that strange to me now. I would like to thank you for taking such good care of her for me. For that I will be greatly indebted to you. I hope that I can repay the favor to you some day. Thank you." She seemed so solemn when she said this that even Kyo was not mad at her right then.

She really loved Tohru, that much the Sohma's could tell. But who was she and why was she here?

The only one that had the courage to ask this painful question was Shigure. Yuki and Kyo couldn't even look at her. Tohru's heart already belonged to her they were just going to step back. How could they stand a chance with Tohru now?

"So you and Tohru are really close?" Asked Shigure.

"Yes. We fight sometimes but I love her very much." Replied Alley with a warm smile.

The word 'love' made Yuki and Kyo wince but the golden haired girl looked confused when she caught their grimace... Why were they asking her such a question? Why shouldn't she love Tohru?

"Ah... Young love. It is the most beautiful thing in the world." The silly man wiped his eyes like he was tearing up and glanced at his cousins. The poor boys looked like they were going to be sick. Their hearts were broken.

Now it was Alley's turn to be really confused... "What do you mean by that?" She pushed her unfinished braid behind her and regarded them all with intense and very serious attention.

"Well I guess since the two of you have been in love so long it might have lost it's strangeness but two young girls like yourselves must know 'that' by this time."

Alley could guess where this pervert was going with this but she wanted to hear him say "it". She looked at her watch and it was getting really late but she thought it might be good to clarify things, here and now, before she decided to do something rash.

_Maybe this is not a good place for Tohru to live. This dude is a damn pervert! And who knows about the other two... Maybe I should stay a little while longer and talk to these guys..._ Thought Alley as she pulled her braid back over her shoulder.

"Know 'what' exactly? Because I think that you have gotten it all wrong. Hasn't Tohru ever mentioned me?" Alley dreaded to hear this answer but she almost knew what he was going to say.

"No. But lovers little spats often blow over in time."

"Lovers?! Wait, I think that you are getting something really wrong here. Because you see, I am Tohru's..."

But the girl Alley never finished her sentience because suddenly the sliding door behind her flew open and a female voice began to taunt...

"Hey, Who let that mangy cat in here?" It was Arissa that had spoken and Hanna was not so very far behind her looking very happy. And with that the Sohma's and Tohru, who had just entered with five cups of hot tea, froze in their places.

End of Chapter 2


	3. Chapter 3

Fruits Basket Fan Fiction

Circle of Tears

Chapter 3

Presents

Start:

When Arissa had first entered, the Sohma's thought that she was referring to Kyo but Arissa only had eyes for one person in the room. That person was Alley.

"I hope you are not referring to me, Yankee." Said the girl as she stood up and crossed her arms in front of her. A smile was wide and an amused twinkle was in her eyes.

"Who else would I be referring to, Cat. You know some one should teach you a lesson before that mouth of yours gets you into a lot of trouble." Said Arissa as she began to push up the sleeves of her school uniform- ready to do the job herself.

"And who is going to do that Arissa, You? Or are you going to let Hanna fight your battles for you? Again." Alley glanced over to Hanna but she seemed to be preoccupied at the moment. Hanna was looking all over the room for something, not finding it here, she went up to Tohru's room in search of it.

Alley wanted to laugh at her old friends oddities but Arissa wanted her attention. It may have been five years but even tragedy and hardship haven't changed them that much. Arissa still wanted to challenge her for her mothers title. Well their mom wanted her to have it, but Arissa wanted to win it from her friend. She wanted to prove that she was worthy of the title "The Red Butterfly" and all it had stood for.

"Now you have gone too far!" Arissa pushed her selves back again and stood ready to challenge this little brat.

The two of them glared at each other with their fists ready, when Tohru walked between them. She hated fighting but she knew these two were only playing. They were all almost adults but with Alley and friends still acting like little kids... Tohru had never felt so old before.

"Umm...Excuse me but what are the two of you fighting about?" Asked Prince Yuki as if he could understand. Everything was turning to chaos right under their noses and the Sohma's were just awe struck. Why did the world seem to be coming to an end?

"If you ladies are going to fight please don't destroy the house, OK." Shigure whined as he imagined his house being torn apart by these two amazons he was already afraid of.

Arissa and Alley just looked at Shigure and contemplated the idea of bruising their fists on his face when Hanna returned and broke the silence with one simple phrase directed at Alley.

"Alley, presents?" She said as she presented her empty hands. Hanna's face lighted up as Alley's face was split into a larger smile. So, Hanna had not been able to find them- oh how much she had missed them all.

"Well I guess that since we are all together we can do it now." But when she saw the concern painted on Tohru's face she made an excuse.

"I have already missed the orientation breakfast and by the time I get dressed and get there it will be too late. Don't worry, I am sure that those puffed up drama queens can exist for one day with out me. I had better go get them. Be back in a sec."

And with that the crazy girl ran up stairs leaving the girls grinning and the boys heads wheeling in confusion.

"Tohru, one question... Who is she?" Shigure said trying not to let his anger get the better of him. Why was his house being over run with very crazy females?

"What do you mean, 'who is she?' Isn't it obvious by now?" Asked Arissa.

"Ah...NO! Who is she?" Asked Kyo who wanted to know the answer to this question more than any of his cousins. After all she had just beaten the shit out of him.

"Well orange top, if you are too stupid to figure it out then we are not going to tell you." Said Arissa as she took a sat at the family table.

Kyo anger bubbled over and he ran out of the house. Who wants to deal with all these crazy bitches anyway? In a rage he leaped up and ran out into the garden. Yuki and Shigure wanted to stay but the looks that they were getting from Arissa and Hanna made them find something else better to do with their time. So now the girls had the house to themselves.

Ever since the beginning, Tohru and Alley had always gotten presents for everyone they loved. They never expected any in return and they had made this practice into their ritual to give presents to the people they loved on their birthday. It was not anyone's birthday but since they had been apart so long, Alley thought that she should make up for lost time. Tohru passed out tea as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening at all.

The Sohma's should have been used to strange people, because their family was filled with them, but this girl was really different from other people... In some weird way, she almost reminded them of...Tohru? And in some strange way she looked like her, too. But none of them were brave enough to find out...

The mystery was about to be revealed to them but when the strange girl came back down with a large cloth bag decorated with pictures of flowers and animals, all hope seemed lost.

With a silent smile that she shared with Tohru, Alley reached into the bag and pulled out a large box carefully wrapped with colored paper and curly ribbons. This box she presented to Arissa.

In side of the pretty box was a shiny black motorcycle helmet with a red butterfly engraved on the side.

"What is this?" Asked Arissa too hopeful to speak more than three words together.

"Mom would want you to have the Red Butterfly. It is still a bit scrapped up from the last crusade but after the body work is finished- its yours, Arissa." Alley finished speaking when she saw that there were tears running down the Yankee's face.

"Kyoko's motorcycle is... mine? But what about you and Tohru. It belongs to the two of you. You are Kyoko's daughters. Don't you want it to remember her by?" Arissa wanted the motorcycle but she had no right to have it when her daughters might want it.

"Mom wants you to have it, Arissa. Doesn't she, Tohru?"

"Of course. Mom loved you and she wanted you to have it. I think she would kill either of us is we ever tried to ride it." Tohru was smiling like she hadn't done in weeks. But she wasn't smiling about Arissa's happiness or the fact that Alley was here. She was smiling for something she would never have again. Regret was strong in Tohru's heart and slowly it was eating her heart away.

Now that Arissa had gotten her present it was Hanna's turn.

With out a word of preamble, Alley took out a large flat square wrapped in purple paper and tied with a glossy black ribbon. With one look into Alley's shining eyes, Hanna knew what it was with out even opening it. They gave each other a warm hug and then she carefully removed the lovely wrapping.

Arissa and Tohru were very confused because all the present was was a simple leather notebook. There was nothing very special about it. It was just an ordinary notebook that could be purchased at any stationary store.

"You kept your promise. This is one of the greatest gifts you have ever given me. Thank you." Hanna was touched and began to read the neatly written pages immediately.

"Well, it is not finished yet. I still need haven't decided on the characters fate yet. But I have been working really hard on it."

"You wrote that, Alley? What is it?" Tohru asked as she handed her a rice ball.

"Just a little story that I started this winter. Its a legend about true love given a second chance. It was so sad that I cried the entire time I wrote it. I guess that I am just a little romantic at heart."

"Let me guess, it is a story about some handsome prince that has to save some beautiful princess from some horrible monster. Am I right?" Asked Arissa who wasn't really a fan of such things.

"Well yes...it is a bit cliche. But in my defense, when a person is locked in a tower of some ancient English castle with an ogre as a teacher and harpies as class mates, a girl can not help but be a little sentimental. But really it was just a way to escape."

"And is that the reason you have grown your hair out? To escape from you gilded cage?" Asked Arissa with a touch of disdain.

"My hair is not that long... Will you all stop picking on me. If I wanted a bunch of girls to poke fun at me I would have just stayed in England."

Alley was getting so worked up that she had forgotten to give out one last present. So when Tohru was about to clear away the breakfast dishes, Alley took hold of her hand and made her stop.

"Tohru, I have one last gift to give. Here." And Alley handed her sister a small box with blue paper and a bright pink ribbon. Tohru was confused. Alley hadn't even mentioned that she was getting a gift. How could she accept this with out anything to give in return.

Alley sensed her hesitation and gave her sister a kiss. Tohru did not want to disappoint her so she opened the pretty package.

In side was the most beautiful thing that she had ever seen.

"A locket?" Tohru whispered breathlessly.

The End of Chap 3


	4. Chapter 4

Fruits Basket Fan Fiction

Circle of Tears

Chapter 4

A Locket

Tohru had never seen anything so beautiful in her entire life. The simple golden locket with two hearts intertwined made Tohru start to cry. The delicate necklace was so pretty but what was in side was even more valuable. A picture of their mother and their long lost father smiled at each end of the beautiful golden locket. Finally they were here together, one happy family.

Alley tried to catch her younger sisters eye but Tohru had eyes only for her parents. Alley was sad but she understood what Tohru must have went through when their mother died. At least she had had their friends to pull her through. Arissa and Hanna would have been there to pull Tohru from even the deepest depths of sadness but all Alley had was a coldly written letter from her father's sister and ice cream to keep her sane.

Alley had had no one... she had been all alone in England. It was her mother who had wanted her to take the scholarship to the all girls preparatory school half a world away. Her mother said that she wanted her daughters to have a better life than she had had but still, not being able to say goodbye to her mother, not being there on the last days of her life was more than Alley was able to stand. At least Tohru had had that comfort.

A gap had formed between them and it was now that Alley was really beginning to feel it but she knew her little sister and her unending capacity for love. All it was that they needed was time and they would be as close as they had always been. All it would take was a little time but time there was little of. She had to go back to England in three days.

Tohru was still staring at her parents pictures and she couldn't think of anything else, so Arissa and Hanna started to grill Alley.

"Why did you tell us that you were arriving. We just get a call at midnight that you were in town now that is a little thoughtless even for a space case like you?" Said Arissa half jokingly.

"What do you mean. I wrote a letter three months ago to Tohru telling her the good news. I mean coming "here' because of some lame international scholastic competition is not what I call a good time. I came here to be with the three of you. Tohru, didn't you tell them?"

Tohru slowly closed her locket and put it in her aprons pocket. She got up and walked over to the kitchen.

"Tohru?" Alley's voice began to strain a little.

"I didn't get any letter. I only knew that you were coming when Grandfather mentioned it last week. I didn't even get a chance to ask Shigure if you could stay here. So I guess your coming was a surprise to all of us."

"I guess I should have called instead but it is so expensive to call from England and I guess it does just seem more romantic to me to write letters. So now that the musketeers are together again, what should we do to celebrate?"

After school they decided that the only thing that could be done, that had to be done, before anything else, was visiting Kyoko.

When Tohru left the room to wash the breakfast dishes Alley looked at her friends and her tear filled eyes spoke to them. Something was different about Tohru. Alley could not put her finger on what it was but something about Tohru had changed. Arissa and Hanna understood what was on Alley's mind and asked her to meet them at the school before it let out.

After everything was cleaned up and Tohru and Alley had dressed for school, it was time to leave. Tohru was now wearing her locket and Alley was so happy that she loved it. She had had a similar one made for herself- but hers was silver. Now neither of them would not be alone, no matter where they went.

Alley gave them each a kiss and they parted ways. Arissa, Tohru and Hanna went to school while Alley went to the orientation breakfast were she knew that she would be scolded for missing it by Miss Maim, her over reactive crypt- like teacher, but she didn't care. Alley was home. She hoped.

End of Chap 4


	5. Chapter 5

Fruits Basket Fan Fiction

A Circle of Tears

Chapter 5

A Black Cat

Alley could not quite force herself into entering the large college auditorium where the orientation breakfast was still in commencement. She had called Miss Maim to inform her that she was running late and that glorious specimen of an educator informed _her_ that she had no interest if she even came at all that morning. Miss Maim had already informed her family of her disappearance and would leave the discipline to them.

Alley was already in a bad mood, she did not need to fight her families problems with a woman determined to have her thrown out of the school but unable to do so. So, her family would deal with her once she got back to England- well, at least this time they would have no trouble looking for something to punish her for. But... Alley refused to let her mind rest on the petty quarreling happening a half a world away and instead tried to focus of the problem that was her beloved twin sister.

Even on the day they had been born- Alley and Tohru had been different. Their looks, personalities, and even fundamental attitudes and innate reactions to situations had always been different but complimentary. They had always been like two sides of a coin. Yin and Yang. The Sun and the Moon. Spring and Fall. Each an individual but both cast from the same wondrous mold.

Their mother, Kyoko, had raised them to believe in themselves and to never give up- no matter how strong or insurmountable their obstacles might seem. She had also raised them to count on and support each other. They were all they had in the world and nothing was ever supposed to come between them. Not time or distance or even death could separate the bond of love they shared for each other.

Alley knew all of this and believed that their bond could last thru anything... but has it? Tohru had been acting strange ever since her sister stepped onto Japanese soil. Even if the letter had gone missing in the mail- a weeks notice would have given Tohru plenty of time to ask her friends if she could stay... but she had not even mentioned it to them. If Tohru had been uncomfortable asking the Sohma's for a favor, she could have explained it to her sister and Alley would have stayed with their grandfather in the city.

Tohru's actions and distance seemed to point to something other than her usual flakiness. Tohru had always been considerate of others thoughts and situations... she would even stress out over the idea that she was being too inconsiderate of other people and ware herself out into exhaustion. For her to completely forget the feeling of others seemed inconceivable to Alley.

Five years is a long time to be away from a person- especially one you love so completely that it becomes a defining feature of your being. Maybe, her sister could have changed in all that time. Maybe the loss of their mother and a strange unsettled life living with a family of perverts had changed her little rice ball into the ghost of her sister. Grief and pain can accomplish any perversion upon a beautiful soul- even one as wonderful and sensitive as Tohru's. Maybe if Alley had been there...

Regrets were something she did not believe in and would not waste time and energy worrying about. There was no way that Alley could have remained in Japan with her mother and sister- no matter how she might wish it to be different. She had made a promise to their mother and had done what was necessary for the sake of them all. She had sacrificed herself for the ones she loved more than her own life.

Finally deciding that she had no wish to go into the competition- Alley turned around and decided to roam the grounds of the opulent college campus. It was not as open as she would wish a garden to be but in a city this large- any green was appreciated. At the heart of the back garden, next to the wall that over looked a small pond bellow, sat a giant cheery tree. It was still a little cold for the blossoms to coat the tree in her imperial garb but hope of them being there soon was enough for Alley. The ground was cold under her shoes so she leaned against the low stone wall looking down at her reflection in the pond below.

She lazily watched the brightly colored carp swimming around as she tried to get her sister's actions straight in her head. Suddenly, Alley heard something behind her. Turning around quickly, she raised her fists up to protect herself but nothing was there. Alley could not understand why she was so tense and jumpy- it was almost like she was back in England. Old habits died hard, so it took a moment for her heart to slow and her tensed up muscles to relax. She tried to tell herself that there was no danger but her instincts still told her that something was watching her and waiting to be acknowledged.

Ever since she had arrived in Japan- Alley has felt a strange presence following her. At first she wanted to believe that it was the ghost of her mother wanting to check up on her little lost kitten but this was not her mother's aura. Keeping her eyes closed and her breathing very calm and still- Alley tried to sense where the strange energy was coming from. She could hardly detect it! Either the spiritual energy was so weak or it was moving too quickly for Alley to get a proper read on it. Oh, how she wished Hanna was here at that moment!

Unable to find what she was looking for- Alley sighed, opened her eyes in defeat and blinked in surprise. A small black cat was standing on the wall in front of her, regarding her with almost human like eyes. Every fiber of Alley's being froze in shock. This cat seemed to looking at her with an expression that seemed to be disappointment- or maybe even disdain.

There had always been something about cats that Alley was particularly partial too. Where ever she went, cats would begin to follow her around like they were protecting her from something evil. All animals- except humans- made a connection to Alley and for reasons that she did not yet understand- she could communicate with them when ever she touched them. All of their thoughts and feelings would be transmitted into her by raw emotions. This talent she kept secret- even from her sister. All her friends and her sister could guess was that she had some sort of hormone imbalance that made animals more attracted to her. She just never corrected them.

There was something strange about this cat. She felt as if she had seen it before but the cat was not more than a year old and Alley had not been in Japan for five years. Alley decided that it was time for her to get over her fear and introduce her self to the strange cat. In a flash the cat disappeared. Alley had to blink again to clear her eyesight. It must be jet-lag. That was the reason that she was seeing things- it had to be.

Alley turned around, ready to go inside and face her fellow students and Miss Maim but when she picked up her pack, the cat was only a few inches from her feet. After a short staring contest, the cat turned around and walked a few paces, then glanced meaningfully back at Alley. It wanted her to follow it...

Alley was not sure that she should. This was not a real cat- that much she was sure of. It had no shadow and made no noise at it walked. This cat was not made out of flesh and blood. A spirit of a cat- a ghost following her around. What it wanted could not be determined unless she followed it. Her morning was shot already and she was in no mood to go inside so she picked up her pack and followed the black cat spirit.

It walked on a ledge above her and would look over its shoulder at her to make sure that she was not lagging behind. The cat was leading her into the more wealthy part of town. All of these expensive houses made her begin to feel sick inside. She could almost feel the sadness in this neighbor hood- the loneliness. It almost made her feel like she was back in England- back with her mother's family.

She expected the cat to stop but it continued on until it reached a high wall that surrounded an entire city block- if not more. This was all one grand estate with one grand entrance and the name at the gate read "Sohma" in menacing black letters. Alley stood in front of that gate unable to move or think. Why had the cat brought her here and did this place have any connection to the people her sister was living with?

Was that what the cat was trying to tell her? Was her sister in some sort of danger? Alley could feel it in the air- this place was just as menacing and full of pain and hatred as Elysium Manor was. Could these people really have it in them to harm Tohru? Alley unconsciously stepped forward and touched the locked iron gated with her bare hand and the gates opened.

She had to duck out of the way just in time for the large black town car to pass under the gates. The windows were tinted so she could not see who was inside but she was sure that someone had seen her. She remained hidden until the car had disappeared down the road and the gates had automatically closed themselves. When she was once more alone she looked around for the cat but it was gone for good this time. With no further prompting from the eerie cat, Alley pulled her coat closer and headed back into the city, leaving the strange estate behind without a second thought.

_End of Chapter 5_


	6. Chapter 6

Fruits Basket Fan Fiction

A Circle of Tears

Chapter 6

A Promise

It was during the lunch break that a secretary from the college's administrative office came looking for Alley. Alley was busy working on the first project of the day and was almost finished. Lunch was almost over, and the other students from her school were loudly talking trying to break her concentration. Not one of them had seemed worried over her disappearance that morning nor did they seem to care that she had returned but if Alley wanted to remain in this competition she would have to finish and pass this first preliminary question. The judges had given her an extension but only until lunch was over.

With a sigh and a stretch of cramped neck muscles- Alley put down her pencil and walked over to the judging station with her answer. The middle aged teacher with glasses took the paper and checked the answer against the master key and he said... "Congratulations, Miss Honda- your answer is correct. Go get some lunch, you only have ten minutes."

She went into the cafeteria where they were already beginning to put away the assembled international food choices and asked the woman behind the counter if they had anything vegetarian. As soon as the lady presented her with a tofu hero sandwich on pita bread with a spicy sour cream sauce- an elderly woman tapped her on the shoulder.

¡°Miss Honda? There is a call for you. You can take it out here." Said the woman as she led her to the phone behind the lunch counter and connected the extension for her. Alley thanked her and waited until the woman had moved out of earshot before she spoke into the head set.

¡°Hello?"

¡°Alley, this is Tohru." Said a sad voice at the other end of the line. Alley could not hear the sadness, she was just over joyed to hear her sisters beloved voice. "I have a favor to ask you and I need your promise that you will keep it."

¡°What is it, Tohru?" Asked Alley as she pulled a piece of tofu out of her sandwich. "You have to promise first." Replied her sister's voice. "OK, I promise. Tohru, I don't really have a lot of time..." But Alley did not finish her sentence because a whispered voice from the other end of the line made her blood run cold. She dropped the piece of tofu upon the ground and swallowed hard.

¡°Tohru, I don't think that I heard you correctly. Did you ask me not to tell your friends that I am your sister?" Alley could not believe what she had heard. She hoped and wished that she was only hearing things but Tohru repeated herself.

¡°I don't want the Sohma's to know that you and I are sisters. They have been really good friends to me and I don't want anything to come between me and them. Shigure has allowed you to stay at the house while you are in town... so please do as I wish."

¡°Tohru how would them knowing that I was your sister change anything between you and them. I am not expecting anything from them- I just wanted to visit you, Hanna and Arissa. So there is no reason we should lie to them. Are you ashamed of me or something?" There was silence at Tohru's end of the line for a moment but when she did respond, she only said- "Do you promise?"

A few sad tears fell down her cheek but Alley managed to keep her voice steady and ignore the void of anguish building up in her chest... "Yes, of course I promise. If this is what you really want?" There was a happy sigh of relief at the other end of the line and Alley could feel her heart crack just a little more.

¡°Yes. Are we still going to visit mom tonight? I packed us all a big lunch."

¡°I will pick you, Arissa and Hanna up at your school. See you soon- Be safe, Tohru."

¡°Bye." Said the Tohru- like voice and the line was cut off. Alley just looked at the phone in her hand with horror and disbelief before she placed the handset back into the charger. She had not said"it". Tohru would always wish people"be safe"whenever she said goodbye to them- it was one of the many little ways Tohru proved she loved the people in her life. Could this person really be her little sister?

Alley was now determined to get to the bottom of this! Whoever that was, she could not be her sister Tohru! No matter what, she was going to find out what was happening in that house and who these people were that she was living with. Alley had already lost her father, and her mother despite her best efforts to protect her- she would rather be damned than lose her only sister too! She was not going to lose her without a fight.

With a face as calm and unmovable as ice- Alley put her untouched lunch into the garbage can and resumed her seat at the table with the rest of her classmates. In three hours, she would begin her fight to reclaim her sister. She did not know how or if she could save her- but she was willing to die trying.

Above her, unnoticed by anyone in the entire auditorium- a black cat was lounging in the upper window watching Alley very curiously.

Hanna and Arissa were waiting impatiently in the girl's dressing room for Alley to appear. Tohru had gone home to the Sohma's house to pick up the picnic lunch she had made for them and both girls were sure that she would not be returning alone. Of all the people, Tohru should be the happiest of having her sister back home in Japan but Tohru had not mentioned her sister once the entire day.

What worried Hanna even more was that when she overheard Yuki ask Tohru who Alley was- Tohru just said she was an old friend she had lost touch with and then she let the matter drop. Ever since that night two months ago when they had found Tohru crying in the rain at her mother's grave- something had changed in Tohru. She was still warmhearted and sweet but there was a growing gloom behind her eyes. She was closer than ever to the Sohma's- especially Kyo- but she was growing more and more distant from reality. She always seemed lost within herself- like something was broken or missing ever since her sister left Japan- but she had always found the strength to overcome it. If Hanna did not know better- it was like she was becoming an entirely different person.

Hanna still remembered the first time she had met Tohru and Alley. In the beginning it was Alley that had made the greatest impact on Hanna. She had been removed from her previous school because of her physic powers- an incident involving a substitute teacher and a hamster- the substitute never did fully recover. When Hanna got to her new school- the word of the incident had already spread to all the teachers and students. All were frightened of her and Hanna's parent's feared that she would have to be home schooled. Then, Hanna met Alley. Hanna was walking down the hall with a teacher who could not even look at her, when a strange girl with a funny blond hairstyle came walking down the hallway reading _The Mysteries of Udolpho_ with a small white rat reading over her shoulder.

Hanna's electrical signals were going off of the charts and she was reading one of Hanna's favorite books. Without knowing why she stood quietly in the girl's path until she looked up and noticed her. Their eyes met and without a word or smile in greeting, began walking arm in arm reading the book together. After being introduced to Tohru, Hanna decided that their friendship would be the kind that would define and quite possibly save her life. Everyone needs a friend- and at that time when she doubted her own sanity- having two like Tohru and Alley meant everything in the world to her.

Arissa had also noticed a change in Tohru but her observance was more undefinable. She noticed that Tohru never had that goofy smile on her face any more. Arissa loved that smile and it was the only reason that she was able to climb out of the hell her life had become in middle school. She had always liked Tohru and Alley- even before they had been friends. Arissa was over two years older than them but she always noticed when the other students were outside playing, the sisters did not seem bothered that no one else wanted to play with them.

The sisters seemed comfortable enough with themselves to be unconcerned with what the other children thought of them. They would be themselves despite all peer pressure to be otherwise. Most people found them very weird but Arissa could never think of anyone she respected or loved more- and she had never formally met them. When Alley moved away to England for her schooling and Tohru was left alone- she still did not change herself. She kept on being sweet and goofy- even if she was a little lonely for her sister. Tohru had always said that Arissa had saved her but without the two of them and Hanna- Arissa might have ended up in jail or worst- dead in the street.

Now the time had come for Arissa and Hanna to help repay the debt they owed to the sisters- they were more than willing to do so for all their sakes. The only thing they needed was for Alley to arrive so they could make their plans. It was running late and soon Tohru would be coming back. So, where was Alley?!

Alley walked into the locker room and locked the door behind her. By the concern of her friends' faces she knew that they must have known that Tohru had asked her to lie to the Sohma's. They didn't look too happy about it either. There were so many things she longed to ask them but there really was not much time.

"Why is Tohru living there?" Alley asked as she took a seat on the bench next to Hanna. Their story was simple and to the point. Tohru being the stubborn and unselfish girl she is could not ask anyone for help when her grandfather was renovating the house- so she decided to live in a tent by herself and not be a burden to anyone. The Sohma's had found her living in the woods and had gallantly asked her to live with them in exchange for her doing the house work. When the time came for her to move back in with her grandfather- she realized how much she had missed them and since Tohru did not feel welcome under their aunt's roof made it all the more easy for her to live there.

Arissa and Hanna explained how happy Tohru had been the last year and a half with the Sohma's. They had really started to help her heal after her mother's death and she seemed to help soften them. But after that on a dark and stormy night two months ago- Tohru had begun to change. She had been withdrawing down deep within herself and even the Sohma's seemed alarmed at the change… but none of them had mentioned it to her.

Hanna and Arissa seemed sure that the Sohma's were protecting her to the best of their abilities- what ever was harming Tohru was emotional not physical. The only person who had even a hope of breaking into that fortress was the person who knew and loved her the best. Alley was at a very great disadvantage but she was her sisters' only hope.

_End of Chapter 6_


	7. Chapter 7

Fruits Basket Fan Fiction

A Circle of Tears

Chapter 7

Picnic

A voice on the outside of the locker room door followed a light knock. "Hanna? Arissa? Are you ready to go visit mom?" It was Tohru and she sounded very tired. The two friends looked at Alley for some sort of direction. She nodded and stood. "We had better go. Let's just play this by ear until I fully understand what is going on."

Hanna and Arissa followed her out of the locker room and into the hallway where Tohru, Shigure, Yuki and Kyo were waiting. There was an awkward silence amongst the group and Alley knew that sooner or later she would have to break the ice.

"I have not introduced myself properly yet (I was not really ready to do so this morning). My name is Alison Stewart, it is very nice to meet you. I am a student participating in the International Student Scholastic Competition representing England- but my native home is Japan. I am very sorry about the confusion I caused this morning- I had no intention of disrupting your home and I would understand if you would wish never to see me again." Alley said with a gentle bow towards Shigure.

"Stewart? Hunh. Well it certainly was a surprise to find you in the house this morning- but Tohru has already explained the confusion. It is too bad that your other arrangements fell thru and I would not be a gentleman if I allowed such a beautiful young girl to sleep outside in the woods- and you are a special friend of Tohru's- so I foresee no problem of allowing you to stay with us for a few days. Think nothing of it- I am sure that you could do _something_ to repay the favor." Shigure had once again put on his charmingly sleazy smile which always made Yuki's and Kyo's skin crawl.

Alley was more than a match for his games and returned with a smile of her own. "Yes, I am sure that there are a lot of things I could do in return for your very generous nature. I am sure I will find a way to repay _everything_ I owe to you." Both stared at the other a moment trying to read each other's thoughts. They were still and silent so long that Tohru was starting to get nervous- but Shigure smiled and nodded to himself approvingly. "I believe that we are going to loose the light if we don't hurry. Wouldn't want to keep your mother waiting much longer- would we Tohru?"

Tohru nodded slowly and began to lead a way towards the cute little temple where her mother was impatiently waiting for them. On the way, Kyo kept looking over his shoulder at the blond girl flanked by the Yankee and the Psychic girl. He really wanted to apologize for the spectacle he had made of himself that morning but he could not find the courage to approach her- she did have the strength to send him flying if he angered her again. He had studied martial arts for over ten years and still weaklings like Yuki and a skinny little girl with beautiful blond hair could wipe the floor with his face. It did not make sense but little did in the Sohma family.

Shigure and Yuki tried to share thoughts over Tohru's head as they walked but neither one seemed convinced that they understood this strange girl. Tohru both loved and feared her. She was singing the entire time she was making the picnic lunch- including a lot of cookies and cakes- but the moment that any of them mentioned her, Tohru became very nervous and refused to answer any of their questions directly.

Yuki did not know the name of Stewart but Shigure knew it **very** well. Could this girl be here for some darker reason than visiting old friends or school competitions? Could she be here to settle old scores? Shigure was not sure that this was the case but he believed that he should at least inform Hatori that there was at least one Stewart in England. The last thing this troubled family needed was problems with Elysium Manor!

As for the girl herself, they would just have to wait and see what sort of cloth she was cut from or if she knew anything about Sohma house- from Tohru or otherwise.

Tohru's mind was clouded with her anxieties over whether she had forgotten any of Alley's favorite foods. She had packed spicy sausages, fried chicken with a lovely honey mustard sauce, fresh fish and her piece de resistance- a very lovely beef roast she had put in the oven very early that morning smothered in gravy and surrounded by fresh vegetables from Yuki's garden. All of her sister's favorites. Alley would appreciate it and this meal would make up for Tohru's inconsiderate behavior this morning.

Tohru was so happy! For the first time, her sister would get to meet the friends that had done so much for her and they would get to meet her- the most important person in her life. Tohru lovingly caressed the beautiful golden locket that held the picture of her beloved parents and a shadow suddenly passed over her face. She was getting _that_ feeling again. She shivered and clutched her locket tighter- praying that this feeling would pass quickly so they could all have a lovely visit together- Tohru had never felt so much darkness before and she was very frightened.

Hanna and Arissa spent their time trying to read Alley's thoughts. The Sohma's were strange but they protected Tohru- but Alley seemed to sense something about them that they could not guess. All of her actions were very controlled and conscious- she had definitely grown out of the little moon-child that she had been while she lived in Japan. She was focused of Tohru and reading every single movement and expression painted upon the Sohma's faces. But then a sudden flower of tears bloomed in her eyes- they had arrived at the temple.

It was a small and simple place- just the sort of temple Kyoko would have considered home. Alley and Tohru both had wanted her buried with their father Katsuya but their aunt did not want her sister in law taking up place in their family plot- she never did approve of Kyoko or her strange daughters. Alley had never been here before and it might be some time until she could again, so she tried to memorize everything.

While Tohru and the Sohma's set up the picnic- Hanna and Arissa helped Alley clean her mother's grave marker. Once they were done- her friends quietly slipped away to give Alley some time alone with her mother. She pulled out two yellow roses tied together with black ribbon from her coat pocket and placed them on the grave next to Tohru's rice-balls. If she had allowed herself- she would have broken down weeping right there! But with the Sohma's near by and her promise to Tohru ever present in her mind, she could not allow herself to do so.

She nearly started when Yuki came up behind her and in a perfect voice he asked her "Were you very close to Miss Honda's mother, Miss Stewart?" Alley wiped away her tear and nodded sadly. "She was so very good to all of us. Without her, I can't imagine where any of us would be. It's just not fair." She whispered with pain under her breath- not meaning for Yuki to hear.

"Death never is. We all lose people we love." He replied to her musing about his own lost loved one- a little girl he had lost long ago who loved to tie up her hair in pretty ribbons.

"Are you guys hungry or do you two want a moment alone." Asked Shigure as he began to help Tohru pass out her lovely meal. Kyo was burning with rage- his eyes locked on Yuki. Ignoring them, Alley and Yuki took their seats. Yuki sat next to Shigure who was next to Tohru and Kyo. Hanna and Arissa had claimed the opposite side of the blanket leaving Alley to fend for herself and stare at Shigure and Yuki.

Tohru handed Kyo a plate to hand to Alley and she took it with a small flushed smile. He began to blush a little in return but checked himself before his cousins noticed but he did notice that the girls face seemed to fall a little when she looked down at the plate.

"So you grew up in Japan?" Shigure asked breaking the silence. "Wouldn't you want to spend your time with your family, Miss Stewart?"

"Please call me Alley. I have a few relatives here in Japan but the only family I have anywhere are Hanna, Arissa and Tohru. There is a difference between the people you are genetically related to and those who love you." There was a sadness in her voice that made all of the Sohma's feel like the wall that separated them from this strange girl had disappeared. They may not know anything about her but they were sure that on at least one level they were able to understand her and the hope that they in turn would be understood by her.

"Eat up everyone! Mom would want us to have a good time. Alley, I have made all of your favorite foods in honor of your homecoming... Is something wrong?" She asked when Alley still had not moved to taste the feast she had worked so hard on.

"I'm not very hungry, Tohru. It all looks great though. Thank you." She still had not looked up from her plate.

"Are you sick? It is dinner time and knowing you, you were too absorbed in school work to eat properly. Your brain needs the protein- I thought if I made all of your favorite foods you wouldn't be mad at me..." When she looked at Hanna and Arissa, Tohru knew that something was wrong. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

"Tohru, Alley is..." Hanna was about to begin but Alley stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder. Hanna nodded and began to eat.

"Is something going on here?" Asked Shigure who found this behavior very particular.

"Alley?" Asked Tohru close to tears- if her sister would not eat did that mean that she had not forgiven her? "don't you like the meal I prepared."

"It's beautiful and very appropriate to eat here but Tohru do you really not remember? I am a vegetarian. I have been ever since we were six years old and I first read _The Jungle by Upton Sinclair_. _Animal Farm _did not do much for my love of meat either." Alley said as she placed the plate down in front of her.

"But I distinctly remembered that these were your favorite foods." Tohru said tears already building up ready to charge down the bridge of her nose. Alley sighed and pulled her coat closer like there was a sudden chill in the air. "They are... were all Kyoko's favorite foods."

A silence seemed to fall over the entire party and no one had much of an appetite- except Kyo. He picked the large pieces of meat off of Alley's plate and replaced them with his vegetables and a large portion of his rice- Tohru was always trying to make him eat more vegetables but he hated them. He did all of this without fuss and the situation would have been fixed perfectly had not any angry crow left the tree overhead and dive bombed straight at his head.

The only thing that Kyo hated more than rats was birds. They drove him completely crazy! He tried take a swing at the crow but neither his punches nor his curses could drive the demon away. Blind with anger, Kyo picked up a stone and was about to hurl it at the screeching fowl when Alley's hand gently restrained him. With a very soft look in her eyes- she gently opened up his clenched fist and removed the rock. All rage- all anger seemed to vanish out of him the moment she had touched his hand. Then without a word, she bent down- put some of the meat from Kyo's plate into a napkin and put it on the wall behind them.

Once she had sat down again- the crow came down from the branches and greedily ate his meal but instead of flying away once he had finished- the crow hopped over to the picnic and jumped up onto Alley's head. She looked up and good humoredly asked it to get off her head. The crow laughed and continued to remain atop its perch. Reaching up, she removed it from her head but allowed it to sit in her lap and eat the pieces of meat that Kyo had missed.

Everyone looked at her like she was crazy. She actually seemed to be enjoying the crows company better than their own. "Doctor Doolittle- do you care to bring us in on the joke?" Asked Arissa once the crow had flown away to it's nest in the tree above them.

"Joke?" Asked Alley as she eat the piece of strawberry cake Tohru had handed her- this _was_ one of her favorite foods!

"The crow! Who makes friends with a dirty, mangy crow?" Screamed Kyo- who was more angry about being jealous of a crow than he had ever been jealous of Yuki. Alley just looked at him sadly and said- "Why is a raven like a writing desk?"

_End of Chapter 7_


	8. Chapter 8

Fruits Basket Fan Fiction

A Circle of Tears

Chapter 8

Apology

The picnic ended much the same way it had started- with everyone busy except Alley who was silently looking down at her mother's grave... alone. Even though it would be two years next month since her death- Alley could not really prove to herself that Kyoko was gone. After all her efforts to save her mother's life- she was still stolen from them in a car accident. It wasn't fair... it just wasn't fair and she did not even get to tell her goodbye- at least Tohru had had that comfort.

Five years ago- Kyoko had made her eldest daughter promise that she would keep a secret from Tohru. Tohru never noticed how sick their mother really was- she was led to believe that her mother was just a little over worked- but the truth was that she was dying of breast cancer. Kyoko went to treatment's secretly, at first using the little pension her husband had left her and then she had to sell the small house they called home- but still it was not enough and her girls future looked really bleak- who would love them once she was gone?

At the moment of deepest darkness- a figure from Kyoko's childhood reappeared- her long estranged father. He looked with horror at the destitute condition his only daughter had sunken to and demanded that the three of them return with him to England- but Kyoko refused. She had no wish for her daughters to grow up in the poisoned house of her father. She would rather be damned than have her precious daughters raised by either her mother or her father- they deserved to be loved not used.

The grandfather only came once- late at night to see his daughter and offer to help them- to pay for the girls schooling and Kyoko's medical bills- but Kyoko refused. He promised that he would not come there again but left his hotels address encase his stubborn daughter changed her mind. Tohru had been asleep, so she knew nothing about their grandfather's visit but Alley had been up very late reading _The House of Seven Gables_ by Nathaniel Hawthorne and had overheard everything.

Her mother needed help but she was never going to ask for it- there was too much bad blood between her and her parents and Kyoko was too proud to ever ask anything from anyone- so Alley would have to take matters into her own hands. Pretending to be too sick to go to school, Alley waited until her mother had gone to work before she walked to her grandfather's expensive hotel room on the other side of the city.

Without a word, she placed a small contract she had drawn up herself upon the desk in front of him. Alley was hardly tall enough to look over the desk top let alone draw up an entire legal document but these were her terms. She would go to England and attend school and keep house for him until she was eighteen in exchange for help with her mother's medical bills and Tohru's education here in Japan. This would be a secret- hopefully even from her mother- and would be between them alone. Also, without a word her grandfather signed it and Alley walked all the way back home.

A week later- the Stewart family lawyer came knocking at their apartment door and announced that a very prestigious school in England wanted to offer Alley Honda a scholarship to their school. Kyoko knew this man and hated her father even more for trying to steal her daughter away from her but Alley explained it once the lawyer had left and Tohru had fallen asleep. Alley had never seen her mother more sadder or angrier before in her life. Kyoko refused to let her go but Alley was going whether she was allowed to or not- her family needed help and this was the only way they could be altogether even if they were half a world apart.

Alley went to England, her mother got the treatment she desperately needed and Tohru was able to go to the school she liked. It seemed like such a small thing at the time and the only solution to a very sad situation so Alley had never regretted her actions. She did what had to be done. Her mother got to live an extra three years free from the pressing crisis of poverty and Tohru was safe, happy, well fed and protected by friends that would die for her if she asked them too.

The only regret Alley could not extinguish was that her mother should be here! After all she had done- after all the pain and sacrifices she had suffered in England- her mother was still stolen from her and Alley lost out on the last few happy years of belonging to a family. Standing here- facing her mother's grave- suddenly everything seemed futile and empty.

Then Tohru's warm fingers knotted themselves with hers. Tohru did not look at her sister- her eyes were also glued to their mother's grave- but at least now they were here together. No matter what else could possibly happen in their lives- they would never be so separated from each other again.

The time had come for the picnic to end. The light was disappearing quickly in the west and a cold wind was beginning to blow. Before they parted ways from the rest of the company- Hanna and Arissa still had one thing they needed to do. They followed the Sohma's and waited until Kyo was lagging far enough behind the others to grab him by the collar of his shirt. Arissa pulled him into a side street while Hanna held her hand over his big mouth.

"We need to talk to you, orange top." Said Arissa and she dropped him on to the street. Kyo was about to let his anger explode but Hanna added- "We would like your help. Alley needs a friend in that house tonight. She and Tohru are still awkward around each other and have not fully broken the ice. So you have to do something."

"Why me? Why not have that damn Yuki do it?" Then he blinked and shook his head with surprise- why was he fighting the very thing he was longing to do himself? He actually wanted to get close to this strange girl... as weird and impossible as that did seem to him- it was the truth. Maybe that dream...

"You, for better or worst, are the best choice for this. We are not asking you to bare your soul to her- we only want you to give her a chance and be someone she can talk to if she needs it. We are worried about Tohru and Alley- neither of them are acting quite like themselves." Said Hanna and then the two crazy girls turned away. When they were just about out of ear shot- Kyo heard Arissa scream- "Her favorite ice cream is peanut butter and chocolate!"

What in the hell had Kyo gotten himself into now?

When they had arrived back at the Sohma house Tohru was once again very distant and cold. When Alley asked if she wanted help washing up the dishes or cleaning up the house, Tohru told her to go to bed and snatched the almost empty picnic basket out of her hands. Tohru tried to slam the sliding paper door behind her but it made almost no sound. Alley looked from Shigure's confused face to Yuki's stunned one and wondered what it was that she had done wrong this time.

"It's been a long day." Shigure said softly as he motioned her towards the steps. "I think a good night rest would be a good thing for all of us." Alley acted as if she was going to linger but Yuki put on his best reassuring smile and said. "I will help Miss Honda put the things away- after all you are our guest. It wouldn't be polite if we expected our guest to clean our house for us."

The last thing that Alley wanted to do was go to bed but she nodded and headed up stairs. When she was out of sight- Yuki shot a very concerned look at Shigure who sighed and nodded. "I will go see Hatori tomorrow. There has to be something we can do to save her." The subject was not spoken of between them again because both knew that there was nothing that could be done. The Sohma family curse was about to claim another of their loved ones and there was nothing they or anyone else could do to prevent it. For a while they had hoped that Tohru had had a sweet enough soul and a true enough heart to survive the curse- but lately all hope seemed dead as their silly little friend fell deeper into the darkness that choked her own soul.

Alley dressed for bed but she was not inclined to sleep. The room was small and hot- Alley felt like all of the images and voices in her head would drive her to insanity if she did not do something. All she wanted was a little bit of air- so she opened the window. She was amazed to find that the roof ran right next to the gable of the window- so without further invitation, Alley climbed out on to the roof.

It was cold out there but it helped bring down her fever a little. She tried to use the cold to help her focus on the strange things happening around her. She loved and believed in her sister more than anything else in the world but why did it seem like Tohru was at war with herself? One minute, Tohru was smiling and singing, and the next she seemed to snap and all of her pent up negative emotions exploded out of her. She was acting like Miss Hyde when she should be Miss Jekyll and by the looks of concern painted on the Sohma's faces- this was not Tohru's standard operating procedure. Something was really wrong with her and it had to be greater than just anger over her absent sister!

There were just so many things going on here that she could not get a handle on. Strange black cats that aren't cats, sisters snapping in and out of insanity, weird boys who say one thing and yet do another and black cars with tinted windows following her everywhere. Ever since she had arrived in Japan things had been going from bad to weird- all in less than twenty-four hours. All she needed was some one to talk to- someone who would listen and not look at her like she was crazy.

She tried to find that inner plain were all things could be objective and balanced- but her head was just too filled with the situation to allow it- so she gave up and laid out full length upon the cold tin roof. She was very close to falling asleep when she felt a presence next to her and opened her eyes.

"It's not a good idea to sleep out here tonight- it will be raining soon." Said Kyo as he sat down next to her and then handed her a grocery bag with a paper carton inside. She almost had a heart attack when she saw that it was peanut-butter and chocolate ice-cream- how would a complete stranger know something so private about her or would have spent so much time looking for it in a Japanese market! She gave him such a openly confused look and he blushed before he confessed that it was Hanna and Arissa that had sent him up there tonight.

"Oh." She said softly and her sudden look of disappointment made him very self conscious. He tried to explain himself but she calmed him down by asking if her remembered the spoon. He smiled and produced two. Kyo hated chocolate and ice cream was too sweet for him but he learned from dealing with Tohru that sometimes getting close to someone dealt with bonding on levels that he was not completely comfortable with. When he took a bite, he was surprised that it was not too disgusting but if he really liked it or if it was the company he preferred was not something he wanted to think about right now.

"I wanted to apologize about this morning- I didn't know you were in there honest. I'm very sorry that I stared at you- but you are very beautiful." She stopped eating at looked at him for a moment. This was not easy for him to say but Alley had no idea how she should take this. His eyes were so soft and his face seemed so open that this was did not seem to be the angry boy who loved to pick a fight over everything. Just like a wild animal, he seemed to be showing his true colors around her.

Alley relaxed around the strange boy she had so rudely met this morning and began to talk to him. She asked him about Tohru and her existence here in this house. From his response, she was able to silence the little voice in her heart that was worrying about Tohru and their intentions toward her. As far as he was concerned- they really cared about and tried their best to protect her.

"So- how long as Tohru been acting like this?" She asked praying for an honest answer from Kyo.

"Two months." He answered sadly. There was something else that he wanted to say- so much more that he wanted to tell her but years of oppressing his feelings could not be undone over one carton of ice-cream but Alley was not going to let it drop yet.

"Two months? What happened?" They shared a glance for a long time until Kyo looked away. "I can't explain but... Tohru needed to know something about me and when she learned it- things began to change." He was staring at his beads and for the first time things began to click for Alley.

"So, something happened when you removed your juzu beads? I wondered if they were real." Kyo just looked at her with a stunned expression on his face. "Tohru told you, didn't she?"

"No. She would never do something like that- especially if it is something to warrant those beads being real. Tohru nor I would never do something like that- and I will take this discussion no further except to ask you- can the knowledge that Tohru has harm her? Answer that and I will be satisfied."

"It could and I think it has. There are somethings that even a bright light like Tohru's can not cut thru the darkness. I am afraid that we are going to lose her." Kyo's fists were clinched so hard that his nails and knuckles were being to turn white. But Alley was not going to let him throw away this fight so easily.

"So, if that is true- I guess that you had better put all of your energy into protecting her. If it is your friendship that is hurting her- you had better put your very life on the line to protect her. She deserves that much- doesn't she?" Asked the strange girl with a flame dully burning in her bright blue eyes. Swallowing hard, Kyo nodded and she got up to go inside- it was beginning to get very cold. "Thank you for the ice cream Kyo and thanks for helping me understand- goodnight."

With that she was gone and the stunned boy remained frozen on the cold roof top until the first drops of rain chased him down into his own warm bed. There he once more dreamed of the black cat and the fears that this time he would once again not be strong enough to protect the people that really cared about him.

_End of Chapter 8_


	9. Chapter 9

Fruits Basket Fan Fiction

A Circle of Tears

Chapter 9

It's Raining Dogs

Alley was sitting next to the window in the dark watching the rain when her sister finally came to bed. She looked very exhausted when she entered into the small bed room but she felt too guilty to look her sister in the eyes. Alley could not see her sisters face as she dressed for bed but she could tell that she was crying. Without a word- Tohru tried to curled up on to the bed and hoped that her sister would not pry into her personal anguish- but Alley was tired of play games around the wall between them.

She made her sister face her in the dark room and really talk to her for the first time in five years but at the gentle touch of her sister upon her arm- Tohru broke down weeping and slipped down to the floor. Alley entreated her sister to stop crying and tried to wrap her arms around the convulsing form of her sister- but Tohru pushed her away in anger.

" I can cry if I want to. **You **no right to tell **me **to do! **You me **five years! **You **to leave and **you **no right to come back here and tell **me I **. These are **my **this is **my **and..."

"And you have every right to hate me." The sadness in Alley's tone touched something deep down inside of Tohru- a place were she could never hate her sister. A surge of anger and a force of sisterly affection began to fight for dominance in Tohru's mind. She could feel the darkness and the pent up hate winning- but that was not the person she wanted to be. "Just be yourself." Said her mother's voice from deep within her memories.

She wanted to be herself but did she have the strength. "Alley- I hate you sometimes." Sobbed a tiny voice full of pain as she tried to reach for her sister with a trembling hand.

"I know. I have not been the best sister to you and its alright if you want to hate me... I do deserve it but no matter what- I am your sister and I will always love you. I am so sorry for the I pain I have caused you, Tohru." Said Alley as she folded the quivering form in her arms and let her finish crying her heart out.

The longer her sister held her- the easier it was for Tohru to dispel the darkness inside of her heart. She found that it was easier to forgive her sister then to keep on hating her. There were things that her sister could not control and it seemed silly to blame her for them- to blame anyone for them. It was alright to be mad at her sister and she still was- but the hate that had been building so long in her heart was gone. Her sister was here with her now- and that was all that mattered.

"Please- don't let go. The tears do not hurt like the ache does." Whispered Tohru into her sister's shoulder... and Alley did not let go until her sister fell asleep listening to the rain.

Morning seemed a long time in coming to the Sohma's. Despite the gentle patter of the rain- everyone was having trouble resting. It was already turning out to be a very miserable February morning but then they noticed that the house was filled with the warm pleasant smells of breakfast – and even stranger, the house was filled with a sweet angelic singing. Tohru was down stairs and singing?!

Shigure and Yuki, both of whom had not really gotten much sleep last night because they were worried about Tohru, came down stairs into the kitchen to behold a sunshine smile warming the entire house with its light. She was happily cooking and singing an odd song slightly off key, but this was a sound that the Sohma's expected to never hear again. It was like their Tohru was back again. When Tohru noticed that they were looking at her she gave them a wonderfully genuine smile.

"Good morning, Shigure, Yuki. Breakfast is almost ready if you're hungry." Tohru had not been this cheerful since the night that Kazuma had removed Kyo's juzu beads and shown Tohru Kyo's real self. What could have produced such a change in her so suddenly?

The two Sohma's followed Tohru into the dining room were a large and wonderful breakfast was waiting for them. Rice, omelets, fish, beef stew, fruits and oatmeal filled the beautifully dressed table. The Sohma's wondered how they were going to eat all of this food- let alone where Tohru had gotten it all from. Tohru had them sit down and begin while she went to go fetch the tea pot- and Yuki looked at Shigure.

"What could have produced such a change in Miss Honda? It's like she is completely back to her old self."

"It does look promising." Shigure replied. "But we should not let our guard down just yet- the deepest darkness remains even in the brightest sunshine. I still want to go see Hatori today- just to be safe." Yuki longed to tell Shigure not to bother but he could not fully believe in even his own heart that Miss Honda was completely safe from the dangers of the Sohma curse... yet. Very few had ever survived it- and even less had completely returned to the person they had once been before meeting the Sohma's.

It was part of the curse- the hardest part that had to be borne by the people around the Sohma's in order to be close to them. Very few- even their own parents- could safely handle and transcend the darkness emanating from the curse. Tohru was the only person in ten years that seemed up to the challenge- they even believed that her unselfish love could be enough to break the curse and set them all free- but lately they had not been so sure. Now, on this glorious but dreadfully rainy morning, they were not sure about anything.

"You seem to be in a good mood this morning, Tohru." Shigure said with a smile. She answered his smile with an even bigger one of her own. "Yes, I am. I feel so happy this morning- like I had just woken up from a really bad dream- and found that I was safe and sound and surrounded by the people that I love. The bad dream doesn't seem so bad after that. Maybe I should go wake Kyo. He usually has trouble getting up on a day like this."

"Better let Kyo sleep, Tohru. He will find his way down eventually." Said Shigure as he helped himself to a large piece of fish.

"Miss Honda, where is your friend this morning? She did not over sleep again, did she?" Asked Yuki as she handed him a cup of tea.

"No. I think she is still suffering from jet lag. She could hardly sleep last night and wanted to take a walk early this morning... she should be back soon." Just then there was knock at the door... "That might be her." Said Tohru as she got up to go get the door. A minute later, Hanna and Arissa followed her into breakfast.

"Well, if it isn't Tohru's lovely friends. What brings you two all the way out to our neck of the woods on a day like today?" Hanna and Arissa just looked at Shigure like he was an idiot. "We are here to see Alley, of course." Said Hanna as she took a piece of omelet and put it on her plate.

"Yeah, where is our little kitty cat?" Arissa asked just as Kyo entered into the room. He was tired and angry because of the rain and he was in no mood for cat jokes at his expense.

"Who in the hell gives you the right to come here and say things like that?" He demanded as all of his hair stood straight on end.

"I am right here." Said a voice from the foyer and then the front door was slowly closed again. No one had heard Alley come in, either because of the rain or of Kyo's loud mouth, but they were even more surprised by the companion that followed her into breakfast.

Without a word, Alley sat down and took a long drink of very hot tea. She was a little cold from her morning exercise in the rain and wanted to do nothing but drink in the warmth. She ignored the others strange looks as a giant black dog curled his long tail around her protectively and laid down at her side.

"You must have had a really bad dream last night, Alley." Hanna said softly as she moved closer to her cold friend to drape her shawl around Alley's shoulders.

"Why do you say that?" Asked Shigure as he knelt down to scratch the strange dog behind the ears. The dog seemed vary of him the moment he moved closer to the girl but after a few seconds- it began to warm up to Shigure. It seemed strange to him because usually all dogs liked him immediately but this one seemed more interested in remaining close to Tohru's young friend.

"The dog. When ever Alley has a bad dream or is upset over something- animals start to follow her around and usually the worst the dream or mood- the larger the animal is." Hanna said but Alley shot her a cold look.

"Don't exaggerate, Hanna. He is just a stray that is a little hungry and will leave once he has some breakfast." Alley started to eat some oatmeal with strawberries and cream- ignoring all of their strange looks, especially Kyo's, she pulled out her book and began to read. Taking this as some sort of hint- Tohru ran into the kitchen for some scraps of food but the dog did not seemed inclined to eat- he just calmly watched Alley as she progressed through the pages of her book.

This was the second animal that seemed to be innately drawn to this strange girl. First a mangy wild crow and now a large stray dog... The Sohma's had no idea what to make of this but they knew that it was definitely not normal. The dog was not bothering anyone so it was forgotten and everyone sat down and began to eat.

Once the meal was finished and Yuki, Kyo, the four girls and the strange black dog left- Shigure put on his coat and grabbed an umbrella. So equipped, he began his long walk to main house. The rain had driven everyone inside- so no one saw him arrive at Hatori's house. Hatori was busy going over a set of Akito's charts and did not acknowledge his cousin until he was finished. Shigure was more than happy to lite a cigarette and wait- he still had no idea how to approach this subject with Hatori.

"So, is there something you want, Shigure. I am too busy to waste my time unless it is important. Is it about Tohru?" Hatori asked in a flat voice as he looked at the picture of a pretty girl hidden in his bookcase.

"Yes, but not that **yet**. I was wondering if you knew of the Stewarts being in Japan again?" Shigure asked as he ground the flame out of his cigarette into an ashtray. Hatori shuttered at that name. Shigure should know better than to come here and stir up old ghosts- especially on a day like this.

"The Stewarts? No. They have no business here. Why do you ask?"

"Because there is a beautiful girl bearing that name staying at my house with Tohru. It is almost uncanny how much she looks like Isabella."

"If there was one thing we agreed never to speak of again..." Said Hatori suddenly getting so angry that he spilled his coffee all over his new rug.

"I'm sorry. You're right- Hatori. We did promise never to mention her or the girls again but this girl certainly has the Stewart air about her." Hatori gave him a less angry look so Shigure took it as a signal to go on. "Yesterday she just showed up in my house without being introduced or announced. At first even Tohru did not seem thrilled to have her here but that seems to have melted off now. Tohru never even mentioned this friend before or the fact that she might be staying at my house until Friday night. It all seems very strange."

"Do you believe that Tohru has betrayed our confidence in her?" Asked Hatori as Shigure took a long breathe.

"No. I do not think that. I think there is some special sort of connection between these girls that transcends an ordinary acquaintance and I know Tohru better than to believe that she would treat our affection and loyalty with such self-interested selfishness. There is a piece of this puzzle that is conveniently missing but I can not seem to grasp it just yet. Do you think that we should have this girl checked into? Quietly of course- no need for our mother's or Akito to find out."

"If you do not believe that this girl is a threat and if she is leaving the day after tomorrow- we should just wait and see."

"Are you sure that you do not want to see this girl? The resemblance is spooky. If I didn't know better, I would say she is... I guess it is too painful to even say. We should just let _them_rest in peace."

"I believe that is the wisest course. I just hope that Yuki and Kyo do not make the same connection- it could stir up some old memories that none of us wish to revisit. But, Shigure, watch her very carefully and do not let your soft spot for Tohru cloud your judgment. The Stewarts cannot be trusted- even a single girl could destroy the balance in this family. Be on guard- even if she does have a pretty face. And what ever you do- do not let the heads of the family know."

Shigure nodded and left Hatori's office as quietly and secretly as he had come. He was well aware of the reputation of the Stewarts- but the girl in his house and her connection with Tohru seemed more than enough to relieve some- but not all- of his worry. Only time would be able to tell who this girl was and why she had suddenly decided to come into the Sohma's house now of all times...

_End of Chapter 9_


	10. Chapter 10

Fruits Basket Fan Fiction

A Circle of Tears

Chapter 10

...And Cats

Class was just about to end and still the cold steady rain had not stopped. Tohru, Arissa and Hanna had had plans about what they wanted to do with Alley this afternoon but the rain had washed them all away. They only had tonight and tomorrow night to spend with their long lost friend and it seemed cruel that Mother Nature was going to such lengths to spoil their fun.

Yuki and Kyo were also looking forward to the appearance of this strange girl- but for different reasons altogether. Ever since this girl arrived- Miss Honda had seemed to recover some of her old spirit. For a long time Yuki believed that he was loosing his friend to the darkness of the Sohma curse. If this girl was able to pull Miss Honda back from the brink of destruction, he was more than willing to become friends with her- even if she was a little peculiar.

Kyo's motives were of a different strain. At first glance he could tell that something was familiar about Alley but ever since she had recognized the juzu beads, he was almost sure that they had met sometime before. Just as Shigure and Hatori had feared- Kyo had jumped to a certain conclusion regarding the girls identity. There was only one way he could be absolutely sure if she was the girl he remembered but asking someone he had just met to take off her shirt seemed a little improper.

The appearance of the girl and the resurgence of haunted memories could not just be coincidental. What if this girl really was the black cat? What would that mean for the Sohma family? What would that mean for him? Would that mean that there was hope that the Sohma curse could be broken? Kyo looked down a the juzu beads around his left wrist and tears came to his eyes. He was just letting his imagination run away from him- there was no way that Alexandra Sohma was still alive. She had given her life to protect him- neither Akito nor any of the other Sohma's would ever allow him to forget that.

He just saw her in Alley's eyes because she was pretty and blonde and liked to read. She did not have a sweet little twin sister that liked to tie her hair up in ribbons or a pet cat named Hercules. He had to get this girl and any mention of black cats out of his mind before he began seeing them every where.

But... when Kyo looked up from his bracelet- he could distinctly see the shadow of a small black cat in the window sill watching him. He picked up a notebook, buried his nose in it and ignored the ghost that had come to haunt his waking hours. It was only his imagination- the madness of the cat beginning to soak into his mind. It would only be a matter of time before the Sohma's would have to lock him up just like they did Kazuma's grandfather. Thinking that made Kyo very tired.

Tohru and Hanna were busy cleaning up the class room but every so often they would look sadly out at the rain. It was raining cats and dogs- and it was highly probable that Alley would want to adopt them all and would never get here. Tohru glanced over at Hanna who seemed to be having a similar thought and they shared a very private smile.

All of the other students had gone for the day- and Arissa kept glancing at the sad faces of Yuki and Kyo. It didn't make any sense for them to remain here much longer and it seemed rude that they were trying to worm their way into Tohru's, and now Alley's, life.

"Hey," She said and both boys looked up. "You guys do not have to hang around here. Shouldn't you just go home."

"You really should try to be less rude, Arissa." Alley said as she entered into the classroom while removing her rain soaked coat and gloves. "Doesn't it ever snow in Japan anymore?" She asked as Tohru gave her a welcome kiss of the cheek. "It just means that spring is that much closer. I wonder what the spring festival will be like this year?"

"Neither of us have been to the spring festival since we were ten. Remember those terrible kimonos we stitched together from scraps we found in grandfather's attic?" Alley and Tohru began to laugh. "But we were the cutest little girls there despite our costumes. Not even Snow White and Cinderella could have been prouder of their magical gowns than we were of those homemade dresses. We refused to wear anything else the rest of the summer." Tohru said as she twirled like she was showing off her patchwork kimono.

"I think grandfather still has some of those pictures of us- maybe we should ask him." Alley mused and Tohru nodded but then she suddenly became embarrassed and pointed with her eyes at the very confused Yuki and Kyo. They had almost let the cat out of the bag! So Alley very easily changed the subject...

"So, what are we going to do this afternoon?" Asked Alley as she looked to both her friends and the two strange Sohma's for suggestions. As her eyes passed the windows however- all the light and warmth melted from her face and her jaw became very hard. She seriously studied an empty windowpane like there was something in its reflection that she did not like.

Kyo could not believe his own eyes this time. His gaze darted from the girl to the black cat and back again. Could she really see that cat? Both Kyo and Alley stared at the cat in the empty windowpane until everyone began to feel very uncomfortable.

"What are you two looking at?" Asked Yuki as he moved to the empty window that seemed to captivate so much interest and opened it looking for anything that could explain this bizarre staring contest. The cat disappeared as Yuki moved closer and Alley blinked. But then she remembered- Yuki had said "two". She turned around and saw Kyo looking at her with an unreadable expression in his reddish eyes. Still looking at Kyo, Alley said...

"I thought I saw something... but it was nothing. Only a ghost." Kyo nodded and backed away. It seemed that this strange girl had also seen this cat before. The impossible did not seem so impossible now. Maybe there were still miracles in the world... but he would just have to wait for another night of ice-cream and friendship to learn how real dreams could become.

"So not just the weather but also the supernatural want to destroy our gathering! Might as well just stay here and do nothing." Arissa mumbled in the chair with her arms crossed. "That is a great idea, Arissa. Tohru, is there an economics class room in this building?" Alley asked, enjoying tormenting Arissa a little too much.

"Yes, right down stairs- and it should be fully stocked because shopping day is Wednesday." Tohru answered her sister.

"Well, seeing as the weather is a little miserable to go anywhere and it is Wednesday- I propose that all six of us go down stairs and make some dinner." Without waiting to see if anyone else would follow her- Alley picked up her wet coat and gloves and went off in search of the home economics kitchen.

Alley's heart was going a million miles a minute. Why did that look Kyo gave her give her such a scare? It was like he knew something about her that she had no clue of herself- but in hindsight it must have felt the same way to him when she asked about the juzu beads. Everything she had ever done or said had made sense to her until she arrived in Japan. All of these dreams- all of these visions of things that defied explanation, especially her younger sisters actions the last few days, seemed about to bury her under a thousand feet of snow.

Alley was busy looking in the fridge and doing a mental checklist of everything it contained when the others found her. Tohru joined her and began looking over her shoulder. "So what do you think we should make?" She asked her sister.

"Well, I was thinking about making something that all of us might like. How does pizza sound?" Yuki and Kyo wondered what the girls were thinking- but they began to help as they were asked. "Kyo could you help Tohru make the sauce and prepare some meat for toppings. Hanna, could you and Arissa make some dessert. And Yuki would you mind helping me?" Alley asked and she began pulling some dry goods and vegetables out of the pantry.

"I am not really handy in the kitchen." Yuki said feeling a little out of his element.

"Can you mix and handle a knife without cutting a part of your body off?" She asked. He nodded and she handed him some onions and mushrooms to begin slicing while she mixed up the pizza dough. It was a lot of fun- even when Arissa began throwing things at Kyo and Yuki and a mini food fight started. It had been such a long time since any of them had had so much fun and the pizza was good- made delicious because it was made with the love of real friends.

As they were cleaning up, Alley looked out the window and once again saw the strange black cat staring at her. "What do you want from me?" She whispered very softly at the shadow that only she seemed able to see. "So you can see her." Kyo whispered as he was sweeping some of the flour off the floor with a small broom and dust pan.

"Her? Who is she? And, how do you know it is a her?" Alley asked as she resumed putting the rest of the left overs away so they could take them home. Kyo looked over his shoulder at the others but they were still close enough to overhear any lengthy conversation. "We should really talk this over somewhere more private. At first I thought that I was the only one who could see her."

"So what do you think we should say to the others?" She whispered. He shrugged and put the dust from the floor into the trashcan. She thought for five seconds and then decided. "Tohru do you have a list of everything we used here this evening? Good. The rain is letting up so I should probably go down to the market and replace everything. I would not want you guys to be in trouble for me scheme. Would you mind helping me, Kyo?"

"Sure." He said as he finished washing his hands. He tried to pretend like he was not really excited to tag alone but he was really happy to get a chance to talk with her all alone. Then Arissa stood up and volunteered to come along and help carry all the ingredients- but Alley said they should be able to handle this- then she and Kyo left.

Arissa cast a long look after them and mumbled- "I do not like the look of those two at all. He is just not right for her." With a little bit of worry, Yuki and Tohru exchanged glances but Hanna smiled at all three of them.

"Nonsense, they have the most perfectly balanced electrical signals. If that doesn't spell true love- nothing does." And she signed, perfectly content.

_End _of Chapter 10


	11. Chapter 11

Fruits Basket Fan Fiction

A Circle of Tears

Chapter 11

Once Upon A Time

There was silence between Kyo and Alley for the longest time. Neither one of them wanted to approach such a strange subject that haunted them both. The rain had not completely stopped and it seemed to dull both of them into uncomfortable silence.

They both had a thousand things to say but there was a wall between them that each kept wrapped around their damaged hearts. Could they manage to trust each other? Alley and Kyo waited patiently under an awning while the rain began to slow once again. The mist was rolling in off the river and in the swirling vapor a shadow seemed to be watching them.

"Hello, Alexandra." Said Kyo quietly and very sadly. Alley seemed to jump at that name and gave Kyo an even stranger look than when he had walked in on her in the bathroom but Kyo only had eyes for the ghost. The cat did not seem to have any reaction at all. She neither advanced nor retreated- the cat just stared at them, waiting. Kyo bent his head in shame and was about to leave when Alley's voice broke into his struggle with the past.

"Alexandra? That is a peculiar name for a cat. You are talking to her like you expect an answer." Alley tried to force herself to keep the fear and interest out of her voice but the degree of separation between herself and the black cat seemed to be falling rapidly. Why did the cat have her name and why was it following them both around?

"I wish she would answer me but after my betrayal and failure- I don't deserve one." Kyo admitted after he punched the wall behind them to force the buried emotional pain out of his head and into a physical pain in his throbbing hand. He could deal with the physical pain- it would eventually numb and then go away... but the pain he kept locked inside of his heart never dulled or went away.

It was his fault. It was all his fault and there was nothing anyone could say to make him except that. The entire zodiac blamed him as well and this hatred grew until even among members of his own family he was hated and cast out from the circle. Not for being the cat but because in one fit of blind rage he had destroyed their hopes of ever breaking the Sohma family curse.

"If you do not deserve forgiveness- then, why is she here? Ghosts do not just show up without a reason. Can't you tell me who she was? Or, is that another of the Sohma family's many secrets?" Her facade of being lighthearted and disinterested seemed to be paying off. Kyo peered deep into the blue eyes and even though he wanted to trust her- he could not give voice to the demons haunting him.

Kyo shook his head and left the shelter of the awning leading the way toward the market just a little further down the road. Alley just continued to watch after him as he began to disappear into the rain. She understood that there were somethings that he would not be able to say to her... neither of their natures were based upon blind trust- they had both been hurt too severely and too often to allow for that... but Alley believed that they had formed some sort of bond last night. Maybe she was wrong. It would not be the first time.

Completely ignored, the black cat decided to take matters into her own hands and attacked Kyo's back- leaving three slender slits down the back of his uniform. He spun around and looked as if he had been stabbed in the back by his best friend but instead of being mad, be bowed his head down to the soaked pavement and apologized to his attacker. His deserved this punishment and so much more- if she choose to collect her revenge.

Alley ran out after him and knelt beside them in the rain. She wanted to offer him comfort and punish the cat for such an underhanded action but something about the three of them there in the rain began to tug at the corners of her memory. Why was this familiar? And why were the scars upon her own back beginning to burn so suddenly?

"I'm sorry. I am so damn sorry." Kyo kept sobbing over and over to the ghost. Tears were falling down his cheeks and mingling with the rain dripping from his short red hair. But his pleas and his tears had no effect upon the black cat. She just continued to stare at the two of them. She wanted them- needed them to stop being so dense and work together to solve the mystery that was so obviously placed under their very noses. The future of the Sohma family rested in their hands and they were too blinded by the past to recognize the importance of the events happening right now!

The mixture of rain, high emotions and physical pain from the scratch upon his back over stressed Kyo's body and a cloud of orange smoke enveloped him. Alley covered her face while the wind blew the smoke all around her. When she managed to blink away the irritants from her eyes- she was amazed to find an orange cat crouching before her.

Kyo was ready to turn and run if her reaction became hysterical or frightened but the girl remained very calm. Alley reached her hand out and gently scratched him behind his ears... and instantly he began to purr. Her smile was wide and genuine- she was not frightened nor was she treating him like a freak- just like Tohru.

"Suddenly the world seems to make just a little more sense now, Kyo." Said Alley as she picked up the orange cat and his clothes from the wet sidewalk. Really this revelation just created that many more questions but it removed the main obstacle that Kyo needed to open up part of his greatest secret- the death of Alexandra Sohma.

Thinking that it was best that they get out of the street before Kyo changed back into a human- Alley carried him into the nearby park and stopped at a small gazebo hidden by the trees. There was no one around and this would be the safest place to wait while Kyo changed back. People that suddenly turned into animals- some how Alley would have pictured something a little more gruesome than that as the Sohma family secret. It was no wonder then that Tohru felt so at home here and now suddenly Alley wondered if she could too. There was something calling her back to Japan- could this be it?

Kyo kept glancing over his shoulder at her. She was wringing some of the rain out of her long beautiful hair and watching the moody sky pass over head. He wondered if she was purposely looking away encase he suddenly transformed. With another flash of orange smoke, Kyo turned back and he immediately struggled into his wet uniform- the girl did not even flinch or turn her head at the sound.

It was then that Kyo decided- This girl was unlike any he had ever met and even if it was the biggest mistake of his life... he was going to let her in. After he was dressed he joined her at the railing of the gazebo and also stared out into the rain. Without looking at her- he said. "Alley, I have a story to tell you." Without moving his head, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She was looking at him, patiently waiting with the breathe caught in her throat. She was even more afraid of the words that he was about to speak than he was... but he had to trust someone at least once in his life.

"Once upon a time there was a very special little girl in my life. We were only five years old but I was already deeply in love with her. She accepted me- and became my friend even though everyone else shunned me. She said that I could not help who or what I was and as far as she was concerned- none of it changed how she felt about me. I promised to always protect her and in the end I failed- horribly."

"She died?" Alley asked moving a little closer to him trying to read the unspoken story hidden within his eyes. Kyo shook his head. "No... but I in my rage I almost killed her. She stepped in between me and Yuki, and my claws dug very deep into her back causing her to lose a lot of blood. She was sick and near death for weeks. Eventually- to save her, her memory had to be erased and she no longer lived at Sohma house."

"Her memory was erased?" Alley asked trying to ignore the ever insistent burning of her back. "Alexandra, her mother and her twin sister were removed from the estate. Silently, we all still hoped that one day the girls would return into our lives and break the Sohma family curse but they died in a fire on their ninth birthday. Their mother then died five years ago from cancer- all hope for the Sohma family was then lost because of me. I alone am to blame."

Suddenly they noticed that the black cat had appeared at his elbow glaring at him. With a toss of her head and a flick of her tail she walked away from him as if disgusted by this self bashing... She then disappeared into the mist leaving Kyo even more dejected and Alley was even more convinced that she should allow herself to reward truth with candor- if only she could trust him enough to reveal what she knew about herself and her sister.

"So Alexandra and Jane both died in that fire. I always wondered why..." Alley said as she wrapped her wet coat even closer to ward off the growing chill in the air. She could feel the fire of her cheeks even now- the fire that had destroyed her ninth birthday and their home. Her mind was so absorbed in the past that Alley did not notice that Kyo was looking at her now like she was the ghost... but considering what she had just said- there was not doubt in Kyo's distressed mind that she was.

"How did you know that Alexandra's twin sister's name was Jane?" Asked Kyo who was trembling so much as he reached for her arm that it looked like he as about to have a seizure. Alley turned and looked at him sadly.

"Because my name is Alexandra, and I have a twin sister named Jane and we were almost killed in a fire on our ninth birthday and..." Said Alley watching her shoes and trying not to look at Kyo's face.

"And you have three deep scars down your back and you have an orange tom cat named Heracles and a dog you call Little Brother." Said Kyo beginning to wrap his arms around her trembling shoulders. She nodded but corrected him sadly... "I had a tom cat named Hercules but he was poisoned by one of my cousins in England and Little Brother is over 13 years old and very ill. I don't have the heart to tell my sister."

"Your sister is still alive then?" Said Kyo with growing hope- tinged with a little bit of concern for her safety. "Yes, she is but I think that something is wrong with her. She has not been acting like herself and now I am seriously concerned about why!"

Alley backed away from Kyo and went over to the other side of the gazebo. Kyo could not understand why she was acting so mysterious and defensive all of a sudden... and then it clicked.

Tohru is her sister!

End of Chapter 11


	12. Chapter 12

Fruits Basket Fan Fiction

A Circle of Tears

Chapter 12

Family Secrets

"Tohru is your sister isn't she? She is Jane Sohma?" Kyo asked as he sat down on the bench completely exhausted and feeling extremely stupid. Tohru had been living with them the last eighteen months and not one of them had ever supposed that she could be their long lost cousin- one of the girls prophesied to break the Sohma family curse.

"I had never heard of the name Sohma until Hanna wrote me that Tohru was living in your house with you and your cousins... but yes, her name is Jane and she is my twin sister. After the fire our mother officially changed our names and moved us into another town- but let us go to school here. I always wondered why my mother felt the need to do this but I had always guessed she had some really good reasons for it."

"Considering the long arm of Sohma house- I wonder why she did not remove you both from Japan altogether. There are a lot of things that I should warn you about but we have been here too long and that damn Yuki is bound to be getting suspicious. We had better get to the market and hurry back." Kyo said as he got up and stood at the top step of the gazebo.

"You are just trying to run from this conversation, Kyo. If my sister is in danger- you had better tell me. I have lived with enough secrets in my life to understand that it is the things that a person keeps hidden that ends up destroying them in the end." But Kyo would not turn to look at her. He had to protect her this time especially from himself. It was enough that he knew that they were alive- now it would be the best for them if they got as far from Sohma house as was humanly possible.

"KYO! You will answer me." Cried Alley as she pulled him around to face her... but the pain on his face flushed all the anger out of hers. "Please, let us both just forget the last few minutes. If anyone else in Sohma house found out the truth- you and Tohru would be in danger. I can't loose you both again, my sanity will not stand for it. Promise me."

"I promise but I want to remind you of a promise you made me last night. That you would protect Tohru- even if it was from yourself. What ever it is that you believe we need protection from- it is now your responsibility to make sure that the secret is protected. You said that our memories were erased and that we are presumed dead. I have no idea what is happening here nor can I remain here in Japan to find out more."

"Even after all of this- You are leaving Tohru with the Sohma's? Take her back to England with you!" Kyo angrily blurted out because he would could not make her understand that they were in danger from not just the Sohma family curse- but also from some of the Sohma's themselves.

"No more running, Kyo. You claim that you blame yourself for the terrible things that happened to us when we were younger. I have no idea if or why this should be true but you have to protect Tohru here in Japan. As bad as you believe the Sohma's to be- the Stewart's are a thousand times worst. Tohru is safer here in Japan and it is your duty to make sure that she remains so."

"I can't...I am not a valiant prince that can protect someone like Tohru- I am the monster that brings nothing but pain and death to anyone that comes in contact with me. Alley are you listening..." Kyo turned around but Alley was gone. He looked around but she was no where in sight- then he saw a flash of gold down the path.

"Here kitty, kitty!" Alley called softly thru the trees and pretended that the last five minutes had not happened- just as Kyo had asked but inside she was more confused than she had ever been in her entire life. Was she a Stewart, a Sohma, or worse- Both? The next twenty four hours seemed insufficient to answer all of her questions... but she had to try. A Honda never gives up!

Yuki kept glancing at the clock above him with a frown upon his perfect face. It was getting late and still there was no sign of his idiot cousin or the strange girl from England. Miss Honda had been nervous the entire way home and kept running to the front door at every sound she heard. She was beginning to worry that something terrible had happened to them... and Yuki could only guess what that terrible thing would be.

If only it wasn't raining then he could put this out of his head. The rain had always had an effect upon that stupid cat- and if he was not careful he would transform in front of their strange house guest. Akito would be sure to blame Tohru if their secret was exposed and then they could lose her forever.

Even Shigure seemed to be running late from his visit with Hatori- none of this seemed to bode well to Yuki who could no longer contemplate his life without Tohru Honda. If he lost her now- it would been an even bigger break than when he lost his best friend on her fifth birthday- all because of Kyo. Yuki's quicker ears managed to hear that the person at the door was neither Kyo or Alley- but the missing Shigure loaded down with honey buns for his marathon work night ahead of him.

Tohru ran to the door expecting to welcome her sister and Kyo back but she still managed a small smile for the returning head of the house. Shigure handed her his wet coat and his scarf before asking why there were only two sets of shoes in the doorway. Yuki mumbled something under his breath that Tohru did not quite hear and Shigure thought it best to send Tohru out of the room by asking for a cup of hot tea to return some warmth into his old bones. Tohru quickly disappeared into the kitchen to get it for him.

"What was that you were saying Yuki?" Asked Shigure as he shook out his newspaper and found the section that he wanted to read to avoid fully confronting the grumpy prince.

"I said that I think that stupid cat has done something stupid. He and that girl disappeared over three hours ago and have yet to return home. Something bad must have happened. We have to go out and look for them."

"Yuki, I really think you are beginning to turn into an old woman from how much you worry. Tohru means too much to him to endanger himself around this girl- no matter how pretty she is. Also, it has been raining all day- those poor kids probably just ducked into a shop or something to wait out the rain. Let's not worry until we have a reason to."

Just then the front door opened and a curse broke the silence. It was Kyo and he was wet and cold and very tired and complete covered from head to toe with mud. Without a word he removed his shoes and headed up stairs for a long hot bath. He did not even seem to notice Yuki or Shigure as he passed and even Tohru's gasp was not enough to cause him to stir his head.

"Kyo? What happened this time?" Asked Shigure as he looked at the wet muddy trail Kyo was leaving in his wake. At this rate- his entire house would be a muddy ruin.

"He tripped and fell." Replied an angry voice from behind them. It was Arissa and her face looked like a thundercloud.

"You pushed him into the mud, Arissa." Said Hanna as she shook out the umbrella that she had been holding. "He deserved it!" Arissa cursed and then crossed her arms ignoring all of them.

"What? Arissa why would you push Kyo into the mud?" Tohru asked her best friend with a blush of anger beginning to burn on her cheeks.

"She pushed him because she thought she was protecting me." Said Alley as she finally controlled her anger enough to enter into the house and speak to her so called friends. "Kyo was not feeling well because of the rain so he took my hand to help him home. Arissa saw us and thought that Kyo was trying to make a move on me. So she pushed him into the mud."

"I was trying to protect you from him. It is obvious to everyone that he likes you and you are not being as distant as you should be to a boy you just met yesterday."

"If I want you to protect me Arissa, I will ask you to. I am not a child and I know how to behave around members of the opposite sex. I was just helping him out- he said that he did not feel well. If you think that there is anything more than that going on- you need your hair bleached again."

"Alley- that is too harsh." Tohru said as she helped her sister out of her soaked coat. Alley knew that Tohru was right but it did not change the fact that Arissa had attacked them from under cover of a very dark rainy forest. It had hardly been over an hour since she and Kyo had learned that the black cat was a ghost from both of their pasts- but the danger that Kyo had vaguely hinted at bothered her greatly.

Speaking to him now would be impossible. Yuki and the others were watching her so closely and suspiciously that Alley wondered if she would ever have another moment alone with Kyo again. Maybe this was a good thing. There were enough strange and dangerous secrets in her life already and one more could trip the scales of her not so normal life into complete chaos.

But taking a breath- Alley closed her eyes and was able to relax enough to clear her head. Closing her eyes felt good and she became so still that everyone in the room felt that she had gone to sleep. She emptied her mind of everything and focused on the one thing that she always knew for certain... All things in life needed balance- especially her life and by forcing everything out of her mind- all things would become much clearer.

Concerned Tohru touched her sisters cold hand and Alley blinked. Turning to Arissa she smiled softly and bowed toward her. "I am sorry that I lost my temper, Arissa. I did not mean anything by it but please let me ask you before you rush out of defend my honor."

"If Kyo was being a pervert in any way..." Shigure started as he moved closer to his strange house guest who was sitting around the corner of the table from him but Yuki cut him off. "Did you two manage to get all the groceries?"

"Yes, but we had to go to three different stores to get all of the right labels and products that we used. Who would have known it would be so much trouble to make a few pizzas." Alley answered as vaguely as possible.

"It was worth it though, wasn't it?" Hanna said as she glared at one of the leftover pieces that Tohru put in front of Shigure along with the hot tea she had made for everyone. Shigure did not seem impressed by the pizza and pushed it slowly toward the hungry Hanna who nibbled upon the piece and watched everyone else around the table.

"It is getting late." Shigure said as he pretended to yawn and Yuki quickly followed suit. They wanted to speak to Tohru and Alley alone without the goth girl and the Yankee listening in but the two girls seemed determined to remain a little longer- so the Sohma's instinctively decided it would be best to say goodnight before they ran into any more drama tonight.

"You children have class tomorrow- so don't stay up too late, okay?" Said Shigure as he disappeared around the corner...

"Something is really wrong with everyone in this house." Said Arissa under her breath but then she looked at Alley and Tohru. "And I don't think either of you should remain here any longer."

"Why?" Tohru asked as she refilled her sisters empty cup and Alley glared at Arissa trying to read her thoughts before she had uttered them. Arissa had made secret of the fact that she hated Tohru living here but this time she really had a reason for her disapproval.

"Because today I saw a strange black car circling the school. The same black car that has been following you both for the last day and a half!"

End of Chapter 12


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